The present invention relates to an ice product detector having an ice detecting lever for detecting the ice product in an ice making machine.
When applied for example to an ice product reservoir, as shown in FIG. 1, the conventional ice detector is comprised of a main body 2 of an ice storage switch mounted to the upper wall of the ice reservoir 1, an ice product detecting lever 3 carried by a supporting shaft 7 of the main body 2 of the switch and capable of coming in contact with the ice product in the reservoir, and an ice storage switch 5 having a movable lever 4 adapted for contacting the upper portion of the ice product detecting lever 3. The detecting lever can move in rotation about the supporting shaft 7 from the reset position (FIG. 1) to an ice product detecting position because of an opening 6 in the ice storage switch main body 2. In the reset position, the center of gravity of the ice product detecting lever 3 is on a plumb line passing through the supporting shaft 7, with the detecting lever 3 abutting on a stopper portion 8 of an ice storage switch main body 2. When the detecting lever 3 is rotated a certain angle counterclockwise, ice storage status is detected. In such conventional ice product detectors, when the ice making machine is mounted at an inclined position as shown in FIG. 2 with the opening 6 of the main body 2 facing downwards, the ice product detecting lever 3 cannot return to its reset position, whereby the detecting lever 3 is likely to actuate the ice storage switch 5 inadvertently through the movable lever 4, thus issuing an ice storage completion signal even when the reservoir is not completely filled with ice product.
Also when the ice product detecting lever 3 is formed of a resinous molding, it is likely to become curved or warped in its entirety. On such an occasion, there also is the risk that the above described erroneous operation of the ice storage switch 5 may take place through the deformation of the ice detecting lever portions abutting on the stopper portion 8 of the main body 2 of the ice storage switch 5.